


Dragonball Next

by Inmate487



Category: Dragon Ball, Dragonball Super, Dragonball Z
Genre: English/funimation names will be used for most things, Will be continued on here, previously posted on kanzenshuu but abandoned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:01:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28909755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inmate487/pseuds/Inmate487
Summary: Many decades after Goku flew away the reincarnation of Majin Buu, a new generation of martial artists arise. Tsumuri feels he must make his people proud. Beat Briefs has to make peace with a decades old rivalry.And Son Gokan must face an intimidating legacy!(originally posted on kanzenshuu, abandoned. will be continued here)





	1. The Tenkaichi Budokai!

_In Age 774, the universe came under attack by the terrifying evil that was the ancient demon Buu. It was only through the sheer determination of two Saiyan warriors, Vegeta and Son Goku, that the evil Majin was vanquished and wiped from the universe. And so followed a peace the likes of which Earth had never known; over the course of one hundred years, the two warriors faded into legend. Their friends scattered about the Earth, all of them finding peace and happiness. Goku's eldest child, Son Gohan, grew to become a highly respected scholar. He wrote a book entitled Groundbreaking Science, which introduced the public to the concepts of ki control and the advanced martial arts that only a select few warriors had ever utilized._  
  
_Long after his death, Master Roshi lives on in Krillin's New Turtle School; the spike in interest concerning advanced martial arts convinced Krillin he should continue his Master's legacy. Inspired by his friend's success, Tien Shinhan opened the New Crane School; the two are widely regarded as the best schools on the planet, and friendly rivalry between the two has developed. Both Krillin and Tien have trained an entire generation of powerful martial artists, and they have two students they see enormous potential in._  
  
_As for Son Goku and Vegeta, the two warriors disappeared from the public that they had once blended in with; after the death of his wife ChiChi at a ripe old age, Son Goku bid his family and friends goodbye and good luck, and disappeared._  
  
/////  
  
By that point, Pan had become used to waking up early in the morning, only to find her grandson training diligently outside. She smiled when she peered out the window over the sink, watching the fourteen year old dashing from side to side, punching and kicking with a speed that Pan wished she had when she was a teen. Of course, Pan wasn't trained by the Turtle Master like Gokan was; sending him to the New Turtle School when he was eight had been a difficult decision, as his parents had not wished for him to become a fighter; however, when they both perished in a terrible accident and the boy came under Pan's care, she saw his incredible aptitude as a fighter, and immediately contacted The Turtle Master, Krillin; he was an old family friend, and though saddened to hear of the two deaths, he was delighted to teach the boy. In the years since, Gokan grew remarkably, both as a fighter, and as a person. By Pan's estimation, he has the potential to be powerful like her grandfather Goku, and the intellect of her father Gohan.  
  
"Gokan! Come inside and get ready!" She called out the open window. She set up his breakfast on the table, and went back into the kitchen to get her cup of tea. When she returned, he was already feasting ravenously on the food she had prepared.  
  
"How is it?" She asked with a smile.  
  
"Delicious!" He said through a full mouth.  
  
Pan made an extra large breakfast this morning, as today was the day of the 64th Tenkaichi Budokai; the tournament was held every five years, and this was the year that Krillin had elected Gokan as an entrant. Pan had felt worried at first- Gokan was only a teen of course- but he had shown so much potential, that she knew he would make it far, if not win it. Gokan let out a loud belch, before looking up at his great grandmother. He paused for a moment, thinking deeply, before his eyebrows raised dangerously high and his mouth widened into a face splitting grin.  
  
"It's today, isn't it? Oh yeah it is!" He said with building excitement. He jumped out his chair. "I have to get ready! Did you clean my gi?" He yelled as he ran to his room.  
  
Pan just smiled and shook her head in amusement.  
  
///////  
  
Krillin arrived about thirty minutes later, hopping down from Nimbus.  
  
"Is he prepared?" He asked Pan after they had exchanged pleasantries.  
  
"Of course he is. I've never seen him so excited! He's calmed down since he put on the weighted clothing, though." Pan said, and Krillin chuckled.  
  
"He'll thank me later for that,"  
  
"Master Krillin!" Gokan said, running outside and stopping at Pan's side, bowing to his teacher. "Thank you so much for letting me fight in this tournament! I very much look forward to facing the competition." He said excitedly. "Although, the weighted clothing is slowing me down a bit,"  
  
"It's only one and a half tons, I hope you aren't having trouble yet." Krillin said with a smirk. Gokan's posture straightened.  
  
"No sir, of course not! I could fight all day in these!" To punctuate his point, Gokan began throwing fast punches and kicks in the air, causing Krillin to chuckle.  
  
///////  
  
The area outside of the arena was already crowded with people; children of all races- human, Namekian, Majin- going up to vendors and purchasing food and memorabilia, some finding friends and family and chatting excitedly about the tournament. Krillin, Pan and Gokan jumped down from Nimbus, and Krillin sent it off. They began walking through the crowd. Gokan gaped in amazement at the building. It was finally dawning on him that he would be fighting in the biggest tournament in the world, and he wouldn’t even be in the Junior Division!  
  
“Master, this is all so amazing! Is it like this every year?” Gokan asked his teacher.  
  
“I don’t think it’s ever been this packed before- it seems like ever since your great-great-grandfather taught the world about advanced martial arts, the crowds have been growing every year!” Krillin’s eyes scanned the building. “They aren’t letting the fighters in yet, but they’re letting in the audience. Would you like us to wait with you here?” Krillin asked his protégé. Before Gokan could reply, a familiar voice spoke behind Krillin.  
  
“Krillin.”  
  
The Turtle Master turned around; Gokan was almost equal in height to his Master, but the few inches difference caused to teen to have to crane his neck to see who had spoken. Gokan had seen him a few times before; the man was dressed in a green and yellow robe; he lacked any amount of hair on the top of his head; and, most striking of all, he had a third eye, set in the center of his forehead. This was the Crane Master, Tien Shinhan.  
  
“Tien.” Krillin replied tersely. Gokan raised his eyebrow, and his eyes fell to another person at Tien’s side; he looked as though he was about the same age as Gokan, give or take a few years; his hair was dark brown, and his irises were blue; he was wearing a green and red gi, he Crane School kanji displayed large and proud on his chest. He was staring at Gokan with an almost unsettling intensity, but Gokan stepped out beside Krillin, his face straightening and returning the intense glare defiantly.  
  
“This is Beat. He is my top student.” Tien said proudly, indicating the boy at his side that Gokan was staring at. “Much like your entrant, Beat comes from a rich heritage…. but he excels with it, as opposed to coasting on it.” Tien said with a smirk.  
  
Before Krillin could reply, a man began to calling for the entrants to make their way into the training room. The corners of Beat’s mouth curved into a small smile, before his broke the glare and turned on his heel, walking to the entrant’s area backstage. Tien turned and walked to the audience area, disappearing into the crowd.  
  
Pan came down to one knee, putting her hands on Gokan’s shoulder.  
  
“You have this, okay, Gokan? You have achieved so much of your potential. Remember what Master Krillin said, correct?” Gokan nodded his understanding.  
  
“Control and channel my rage.” Gokan said, and Pan smiled and nodded, kissing him on his forehead.  
  
Gokan took a deep breath, and turned towards the entrance to the fighter’s area; Krillin placed his hand on Gokan’s shoulder and gave him a nod of encouragement, one which Gokan returned.  
  
He walked through the doorway.


	2. The First Battles!

Gokan looked around the training room; men and women of all shapes and sizes were preparing, some looking focused, some looking nervous, some looking terrified, some even looking queasy. As his eyes scanned the fighters, he caught a glimpse of Tien Shinhan’s student, Beat; he stood in a corner, solitary, his eyes closed and his arms crossed. Gokan could almost feel the confidence radiating off the teenaged fighter. Gokan continued to scan the group, noting that there were no Majin fighters, and only one Namekian, stood near the entrance to the stage. The Namekian appeared to be young as well, and wore a grey gi with a purple belt.   
  
As he finished surveying all the fighters, he approached the board where the brackets were; the “preliminaries” (which was only punching a bag to determine the strength of the competitors, and the ten strongest from that we inserted into the tournament) had already been held the week previously, in a private room, one by one in order to keep the brackets a surprise. Gokan would be in the second match-up; Beat would be in the fifth. If he was being honest with himself, Gokan knew it would probably be himself and Beat in the finals, although the Namekian very well could take them both down for all Gokan knew.  
  
A man and a woman came to the training room to collect the first two contestants, Elira and Din. They were both intensely focused looking men; they walked out to the stage, and it was then that Gokan fully registered the roar of the crowd. He’d heard it before, but it really dawned on him what was about to happen. He was going to fight in the most prestigious martial arts tournament in the world!  
  
//////  
  
Krillin and Pan were at the topmost row; there were no seats, so they merely stood and watched the first fight. The two men were talented martial artists, but in a tournament featuring people well trained in advanced martial arts and ki control, it seemed a bit pointless for them to fight. Pan was chatting amiably with a young couple standing next to them. Krillin was distracted by Tien’s approaching ki.  
  
“Trunks couldn’t come?” Krillin asked before Tien could even greet him.  
  
“No, he had urgent work to attend to, the poor old man. He’s watching a broadcast of the tournament.”  
  
“And the boy’s parents?”  
  
“You know how they feel about this martial arts stuff. They’d rather he didn’t do it, so why would they come to a tournament?”  
  
//////  
  
Gokan sat on a bench, stretching in preparation for his next fight, against a short, stocky fellow named Oagie. The diminutive fighter had a horrible stench, and Gokan wasn’t particularly looking forward to touching the man in any way, but inevitably, he was called out to the ring. Standing on his side of the tiled square, he looked around the audience, his eyes falling on Pan, who was waving furiously, and Krillin, standing next to Tien Shinhan, oddly enough. Gokan smiled widely and waved back to Pan.   
  
“Hey kid! Eyes on me!” Oagie yelled. Gokan looked back at him, and then realized he was in a fight.  
  
“Oh yeah! I’m sorry! Let’s do this!” Gokan replied cheerily, assuming his fighting position. Oagie let out a roar, and took a running start at Gokan. Instantly, Gokan realized what mistake Oagie was going to make, so he waited until the last possible second- until Oagie was right in front of him- to leap up in the air, flipping over and landing on his feet. As he expected, Oagie couldn’t stop in time, running right off the edge of the ring and landing hard on the grass.  
  
“Son Gokan wins!” the announcer yelled to the crowd, who were slightly shocked and the very short match. Gokan waved to Pan once again, and noted Krillin had a proud smile on his face.  
  
As he walked down the hallway leading to the training room, he passed by the Namekian, who retained eye contact the whole time, until they passed by each other.

//////

Gokan elected not to watch the Namekian's fight; the young warrior hadn't honed his skills at reading another being's energy quite yet, but he could feel power radiating from the Namekian warrior. From his limited understanding of Namekian culture and its people, he understood they were an incredibly powerful race that had become forever entwined with the legends of the Son family. The young warrior resumed his previous place on the bench, legs crossed and his eyes closed as he began the meditation technique Master Krillin had taught him; focus his energy, trying to draw from the innate energy reserves still yet to come to the surface, the power that only came in short bursts for him.  
  
Soon enough, the announcer announced that a fighter named Tsumuri had won, in what Gokan realized was a fairly short fight. Sure enough, the Namekian warrior walked back into the training room calmly, his face emotionless. Gokan's eyes traveled to Beat, to find he was in the exact same position he had been in before. Completely undisturbed, eyes closed, back against the wall, arms crossed. Odd.   
  
"Hello, Son Gokan."  
  
The boy, deep in his thoughts, was startled; he turned to find Tsumuri, extending a hand; the Namekian was taller than him by a few inches. Gokan shook his hand.  
  
"It's blatantly obvious it'll be us. I would like to tell you it is an honor to do battle with a member of the Son family."   
  
"I look forward to it," Gokan said in a more serious tone of voice. Tsumuri smirked, and walked away to his own solitary corner.  
  
A few minutes later, Gokan heard Beat's name called. He had a vested interest in how the fight would go down, so Gokan stood and walked to the entrance to the stage, poking his head around and looking at the ring.  
  
Beat was in his same position as he had been in the training room; standing on his side of the ring, with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. His opponent was screaming at him to move; the man charged a small golden glowing ball of ki energy in his hand (Gokan remembered learning the technique in his younger years) and tossed it at Beat, who backhanded the globe of energy without looking. The ki blast flew up in the sky, fading into the atmosphere.  
  
Beat's eyes opened, and with a speed Gokan wasn't expecting, crossed the ring, bowing his head down. His head crashed into his opponent's abdomen; the man let out a silent scream and flew backwards, landing on the grass, unconscious. Beat walked out of the ring, confidence oozing from every pore. He didn't even look at Gokan as he walked to the training room; he just continued on his way. Gokan wasn't one to judge, but Beat seemed like a bit of a jerk!  
  
There were a few more matches until Gokan's next, so he struck up conversations with some of the fighters; Tsumuri's next opponent seemed intensely worried, Gokan noted. The boy hadn't watched Tsumuri's first match, but from the general consensus, it seemed just as decisive a victory as Gokan's and Beat's.   
  
Soon enough, it was time for Gokan's second match; he stood across from the fighter named Suga. The fighter was tall and lean, with taped fists and red pants; he looked just as focused as Gokan.   
  
There was a tense moment where neither fighter moved- and Gokan's vision went blurry as he was hit in the head from behind.   
  
/////  
  
"What happened?!?" Pan screamed, her hands grasping the railing, knuckles white.  
  
"He utilized an after image!" Tien informed her, eyes staring intensely at the ring.  
  
"That's incredible speed! Gokan's superior senses didn't even pick anything up!" Krillin said, equally as shocked as Pan.  
  
/////  
  
With Gokan staggered, Suga launched a combination of high speed attacks that further staggered the Turtle School Student. Gokan was clearly surprised at not only the speed, but the surprising strength of the human, but Gokan did not lose his footing completely, managing to still stand despite the attack.  
  
"Why won't you go down!?" Suga yelled, throwing an erratic punch in frustration.  
  
Gokan ducked the punch, and as Suga stumbled forward, Gokan lifted his body up with force, send Suga up into the air- and Gokan caught the fighter with a side kick! Suga sailed across the ring and landed hard in the grass, skidding along the ground.  
  
"Gokan wins!" The announcer yelled into the microphone, audible above the cacophonous cheering of the crowd. Gokan wiped blood away from the corner of his mouth, and walked to the back.  
  
Gokan sat on the bench and crossed his legs, growing lost in his thoughts. The fight had surprised Gokan to say the least, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't slightly shook. He hasn't been paying attention, and it had nearly cost him the tournament. As Master Krillin had taught him to do, he needed to regain his focus, make the goal as clear as he possibly can in his head. Visualization, Master Krillin had called it. Gokan, standing in the center of the ring, clearly beaten up, but still standing victorious! He slowly lost awareness of his surroundings; he was absorbed into himself, his mind calming.  
  
"Up next: Son Gokan and Tsumuri!" The Announcers' voice cut through his calm. He opened his eyes, surprised to see the training room had cleared out; a few meters away, a scrawny guy was cowered against the wall, avoiding eye contact with someone behind Gokan.  
  
Gokan stood up, stretching, and turned to find Beat, still in his same position, staring at the scrawny warrior. His eyes slowly shifted to Gokan; the corner of his mouth turned up into a smirk. This guy was arrogant, that was for sure; other than that, Gokan couldn't quite get a read on the fighter.  
  
Gokan walked out into the arena once again, walking across the ring. He made eye contact with Krillin, who nodded solemnly. They both knew this fight would not be easy. Gokan assumed his fight position, surprised to see Tsumuri just standing there, looking quite nonchalant.  
  
"Son Gokan, Tsumuri- when you are ready, FIGHT!"   
  
"Are you wearing weighted clothing?" Tsumuri asked him. Gokan smirked.  
  
"I am."  
  
"Care to take it off for this fight? I'll allow you the advantage." Tsumuri said with smirk. Gokan removed his wrist bands, his shoes, and his white undershirt; he felt much more lighter without the weighted clothing.  
  
"Are you ready?" He asked, a small crossing his face. Tsumuri nodded.  
  
Gokan knew what Tsumuri was going to do within a millisecond, and copied the action; they took off at each other. Gokan corrected in air, realizing he wouldn't be able to block the punch. He tried to move his head to the side, but was too slow. His fist smashed into Tsumuri's face, and Tsumuri's fist smashed into Gokan's face.  
  
They stood there for a moment, both very much fazed; then they both hopped backward. Gokan charged a little blast, not a whole lot of power behind it, and sent it at Tsumuri; the Namekian slapped it into the sky with ease, and Gokam took that one second of distraction to attack. He kept forward, bringing his right knee up, straight into Tsumuri's abdomen. The crowd let out a loud "oooooh!"   
  
Gokan removed his knee, putting his fists together and bringing them down with the intent to spike Tsumuri to the ground; however, Gokan's fists hit nothing, and once he realized the Namekian behind him, it was too late. A solid kick smashed him in the upper back, taking him off guard, and he was sent flying forwards. Clearly Tsumuri had intended for him to fly out of bounds, but Gokan managed to stop himself-  
  
He sensed the presence next to him, being his arm up and blocking Tsumuri's fist; they were face to face. Tsumuri smirked.   
  
Gokan felt a haze of heat near his abdomen, and looked down to see Tsumuri's palm at his stomach; with no time to move, Gokan was blasted back by a golden blast of ki.   
  
Gokan flew backwards and high up into the air, dazed and confused. Tsumuri launched forward, bringing his leg down into Gokan's rib cage; Gokan folded in half and flew down. He could feel white hot pulses of pain in his abdomen. He vaguely realized his was headed for the ground, and concentrated his energy; he stopped himself, and looked from side to side, coming to the conclusion he was a few inches from the ground. Tsumuri was above him, and Gokan regained himself, cupping his hands.  
  
"Kame... Hame..."  
  
Tsumuri disappeared.  
  
Gokan floated upwards, flipping into the ring, his feet finally finding solid ground. He looked around the stadium and the sky. He couldn't find Tsumuri!  
  
Gokan closed his eyes, concentrating; he could sense Tsumuri's power, but it seemed like it was all around him! The Namekian warrior had seemed to master some sort of energy clouding technique, and was using it too his advantage. Gokan's eyes screwed shut as he focused all of his energy, trying to pinpoint the physical location of the fighter.  
  
Gokan's eyes snapped open, and he bent backwards as a fist passed right in front of his face. He wasted no time- a surprised Tsumuri couldn't react in time as Gokan pushed his arm away and let loose with a flurry of punches to his abdomen. Gokan reeled his hand back, a golden ball of ki materializing, and he brought it too Tsumuri; it blasted the Namekian back. Gathering all of his energy for speed, Gokan appeared behind Tsumuri, spinning and bringing his leg around. It crashed into the Namekian's side, sending him flying into the opposite direction. Gokan appeared behind him again, but Tsumuri anticipated it, materializing behind Gokan, punching him in the back and sending him forwards; Gokan flew a few meters, and Tsumuri appeared above him, dropping down on him with a hard kick and flipping off. Gokan landed in the ring hard, cracking the stone surface deeply. Tsumuri landed on his feet near him.   
  
Gokan slowly stood to his feet.  
  
The top of his gi was shredded, exposing the left side of his upper body; he ripped it off, tossing the fabric away. He took a deep breath.  
  
He cupped his hands, bringing them to his sides. Tsumuri quickly went into action, bringing his arm back to charge his own attack.  
  
"Kame....." A glowing blue orb materialized between Gokan's, growing larger by the second.  
  
"Hame..."  
  
"Gastropo Blaster!" Tsumuri roared, pushing his hand forward; Gokan's eyes widened in shock at the speed in which Tsumuri charged an attack of such power. A beam of green energy launched forward; Gokan only has time to cross his arms in front of him defensively; the beam crashed into him, and he planted his feet; even still, he feet dug into the stone tiles, digging deep cuts into the surface. He felt his left forearm bend in the pressure; he let out out a scream of agony as it gave in, snapping in half.   
  
Tsumuri tired his energy supply and the blast stopped.   
  
Gokan stood, his feet on the edge of the ring; deep grooves in the surface showed where he had started from. His left arm hung down, useless and slightly bent to an odd angle. A cut was leaking blood, which dropped down his arm, off of his fingertips, and dripping on the ring surface.   
  
Tsumuri was breathing heavily. It was clear he had expended a lot of energy into the attack. Gokan focused his energy into his right palm.  
  
"Kame...."  
  
One more try.  
  
"Hame...."  
  
Tsumuri growled, bringing his hand back again, putting everything he had into the green orb of energy. Gokan focused everything into it, as the blue glow brightened tremendously.   
  
"HA!" He screamed, bringing his palm forward; blue energy blasted forward, meeting Tsumuri's attack midway; they clashed with a sonic boom that sent a powerful wind in all direction. Gokan could feel the push of the attack of against his own; he could also feel his heels right on the edge of the ring, threatening to tip him over at any point.  
  
He brought his right foot forward, planting it firmly forward; he felt the pressure of his attack against Tsumuri's own build up. It was going to give. The question was which one would give.  
  
Gokan knew that the building pressure would only cause an explosion that would level the arena. He had to push Tsumuri backwards.   
  
Gokan's eyes closed; his could feel the energy coursing from within him, flowing forwards; he could feel the waterfall-like rush of it. He had to do better. He had to push himself. He had to release his energy.  
  
Gokan's eyes snapped open, and a scream was ripped from within him; he beam brightened tremendously, and he felt the pressure lessen a hundredfold, until his vision was overtaken by white as the beams reached their peaks.  
  
Gokan stood in the ruined ring; a deep ravine had cut through the ring, straight through the ground; it continued past the boundaries of the ring, and it came to a massive mound of broken stone and dirt; Tsumuri lay on it, unconscious. Gokan smiled in victory, as the crowd could only stare in disbelief.  
  
"Uhh.... oh wow... uh... Son Gokan wins!"   
  
The crowd came to life, cheering at the spectacle. Every inch of Gokan ached, and he didn't want to move. He felt a warm hand press upon his back, and he felt energy course through his body; his cuts closed and healed, and he felt the bones in his arm knit back together, and his energy began restoring.  
He turned to the Namekian healer, bowing slightly in appreciation.   
  
"Thank you very much."   
  
The healer nodded, and waved his hand; Gokan looked down to find his gi restored. He began his walk back to the training room.   
  
"Please wait while out attendants restore the ring and surrounding area. Thank you for your patience!" The announcer said over the loud speaker.   
  
As soon as he entered the training room, his eyes locked with Beat. Gokan took a seat, breaking eye contact.  
  
Beat and his opponent were called to the ring.


	3. Beat vs. Gokan!

Gokan tried not to concentrate on the sounds he heard, but that poor scrawny kid out there was for sure screaming in pain. He doubted it was anything too sadistic, but he felt as though Beat wasn't above slapping around his opponent to make an example out of him. Gokan became filled with nervous energy suddenly, going against all of his training. He had to clear his mind. Beat was just trying to get into his head with this act, and his making an example of his opponent. Gokan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  
  
"Del is eliminated! Beat advances to the finals! Now it is time for- what?"  
  
Gokan's eyes snapped open. He could make out angry shouting, but the murmuring of the crowd muffled it to the point that he could understand it.  
  
"Oh..... Well this is unexpected.... but okay! Beat has requested he have the finals match now! Will Son Gokan please make his way out to the ring?"  
  
Okay, Beat had definitely gotten to Gokan.  
  
The Son progeny took a deep breath, straightened his posture, and made the walk out into the open air. The crowd was quieter than usual, clearly not expecting this turn of events, and anxiously anticipating more. Gokan took his place across the ring from Beat, who was already in his fighting stance; he was crouched slightly, right fist pointing outwards and slightly behind him; his left hand was up in the air, two fingers and his thumb open but bent. His smirk widened until his teeth were visible. Gokan assumed his own stance, and let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.  
  
"Son Gokan... Beat Briefs..... FIGHT!" The Announcer yelled, and the hush in the crowd was almost defeaning.   
  
Beat didn't move.  
  
Gokan didn't move.  
  
A wind blew through the arena, its whistling audible, with no roar of a crowd to cover it.   
  
Gokan stared intensely at Beat, whose smirk had faltered slightly. Neither of them moved a muscle; there wasn't even a twitch, their torsos barely moved with their breathing.  
  
Something like an electrical impulse shot through Gokan's body; adrenaline flooded his blood stream, and he pushed off, flying at Beat, his fist wound back.  
  
Beat's smirk returned as he sidestepped the punch, but Gokan corrected, sending rapid fire left and rights; however, Beat anticipated all of them, blocking each shot with his forearm. Gokan let out a yell of frustration, putting his power behind a right fist; time slowed for a moment, as he anticipated it to make contact-   
  
Beat sidestepped the punch, still grinning in his cocky way; he brought up his knee, aiming for Gokan's ribs; Gokan brought his hands down, pushing off, into the air, and flipping; his back was to Beat, and as expected, the Crane School fighter attempted to take that advantage, flying at Gokan's back; Gokan spun around, bringing his leg up, but it passed right through the Afterimage.  
  
'Damn,' Gokan thought to himself. 'Fell for it again!'  
  
Beat appeared behind him, and brought his hand down in a chopping motion; Gokan ducked the shot, spinning, and kicking Beat's left leg out. Beat slipped backwards, parallel to the ground, but spun suddenly, bringing his right leg around, the shin crashing against the side of Gokan's head.  
  
Gokan was taken off of his feet, flying through the air; his back hit the stone tile, and he used the momentum to roll over onto his feet.  
  
Beat wasn't letting him take a break; he flew at Gokan with his fist reeled back, an intense look on his face- he wanted to finish this-  
  
Gokan jumped over his opponent, grabbing his foot midflight. He landed on his feet, bringing Beat upwards with him, attempting to send him right down into the tiled ring-   
  
Beat completely disappeared from Gokan's grip.  
  
/////  
  
"WHAT!?" Krillin shouted, eyes wide. He turned to Tien with a fire burning in his eyes. "You've already taught him the Instant Transmission technique!?"   
  
Tien merely smirked.   
  
Pan was shrieking Gokan's name at the top of her lungs, pumping her fist up in the air.  
  
/////  
  
Gokan looked around frantically. This was more than super speed. Beat actually disappeared from his grasp!  
  
Gokan heard a sharp, high pitched noise, and saw Beat flying at him out of the corner of his eye; but he had no time to react, and Beat's fist connected with his jaw. Gokan flew several feet across the ring yet again, this time not able to stop himself. Luckily, his skidding slowed until he was just at the edge. His jaw was pulsating with pain, it was a miracle it hadn't shattered; but Gokan began to stand up. Beat was all the way across the ring from him.  
  
"That was a good warm up, kid." Beat shouted. "You're lucky you weren't wearing weighted clothing, it would've been quite one sided. You're also lucky that I am wearing weighted clothing."  
  
Gokan's blood ran cold. Beat smiled at Gokan's shock; he turned his head up to the stands, to his teacher Tien.  
  
"How much is it? Two tons? Yes. That makes a hell of a difference, trust me." Beat chuckles, and set to remove his weighted clothing.  
  
The right wristband. It hit the ground with a crash.  
  
The left wristband. Crash.  
  
The right shoe. Crash.   
  
The left shoe. Crash.  
  
With each noise, each impact of the heavily weighted clothing, Gokan's heart sunk a little lower.  
  
Beat removed the green top of his gi, and it made the biggest crash yet when he tossed it away. Beat bent his neck to the side, the bone cracking.  
  
"Much better. Now let's make it even more fun."  
  
Every muscle in Beat's body clenched; his fists closed. His breathing became heavier and heavier, a white aura, drifting like smoke, rose around his body.  
  
/////  
  
"W-what is he doing?" Krillin asked, feeling Beat's power riding with each passing second.  
  
"A technique I had worked on for years, but when I learned other power multiplying techniques, it became useless to me. But to a boy with his power, it is invaluable."  
  
"Oh my god..." Krillin spoke in disbelief, voice faint as Beat's aura brightened, and he began letting out an earth shaking scream. "You taught him how to utilize 100% of his unlocked powers!"  
  
"He's a natural, Krillin. He would've figured out how to do it by himself anyways. It's not drawing upon his potential energy, of course; it's only the energy he accesses and draws upon with every attack."  
  
/////  
  
Gokan couldn't believe his eyes.   
  
He could feel the air around him come alive with energy; Beat's aura had grown incredibly bright, and his musculature seemed to be morphing, growing with each breath.  
  
There was a pause in the screaming- Beat relaxed slightly, as if to catch his breath; there was a pause that was only a moment, but felt like hours.  
  
Beat let out yet another scream, his voice cracking, and his aura grew larger and blindingly bright, sending a strong current of wind all across the arena.


	4. The Pseudo Super Saiyan? Rage of Gokan!

Though the brightness had faded, and it had shrunk, Beat's white aura still swirled rapidly around his bulked up body. His skin seemed more tan, and the irises of his blue eyes seemed almost brighter, more clear. He looked up at Gokan with a smirk on his face, veins bulging in his forehead.   
  
"Son Gokan. Now we can finish this fight!"   
  
Gokan didn't know what to do. The power radiating off of Beat was incredible; the only time he'd ever felt power even somewhat similar to that was when Master Krillin utilized that red aura technique he refused to teach Gokan. He couldn't even think up some sort of defense or way to take Beat down; he was so unbelievably, incomprehensibly outmatched.  
  
Beat stepped forward, then disappeared. Gokan felt Beat's presence behind him, and then he felt a hand knife down on the back of his neck. Gokan shuddered and fell, eyes wide, mouth open, spittle spraying out. Before he hit the ground, Beat grabbed him by the back of his gi, and pulled up, tossing Gokan into the air; the top tore off as Gokan spun upwards, dazed and unable to defend himself. Beat appeared in his way, arm extended, palm facing outwards. Gokan's back hit his palm, stopping his moment; for a millisecond Gokan was suspended in midair, and Beat brought his elbow over, straight into Gokan's back.   
  
Gokan hit the stone tile of the ring hard. It seemed with every impact, the energy was sapped from his body. He was being beaten brutally... worse than he'd ever been beaten in his life.  
  
Beat landed next to him.  
  
"Tell me you want me to finish this. And I will."  
  
Gokan put his palms against the cracked stone, pushing himself up- on one foot, then on two feet. His legs felt weak, and he was in danger of collapsing at any moment.  
  
"You'll have to kill me." Gokan said, bring his hand up to Beat's head, blasting him point blank with a golden blast. When it faded, Beat's head came into view; it was tilted backwards. Beat brought his head down, looking down at the hunched over Gokan. Blood was leaking from both of Beat's nostrils.  
  
"Hm."   
  
Gokan felt his feet leave the floor, as once again he was thrust up into the air. Before he could even register the pain, Beat appeared before him, unleashing a flurry of kicks and punches, every point of Gokan's body flaring with pain.  
  
/////  
  
"His speed... his power...." Krillin could only say in amazement. Pan had her hands over her mouth, tears appearing in the corner of her eyes. Tien had become stoic.  
  
'Beat has a mean streak, so much like Vegeta. It's as if he becomes drunk with power. I warned him not to go overboard with this....'  
Tien thought to himself. 'He's been like this ever since Trunks had brought him to my school, all of those years ago...'  
  
Tien recalled the young eight year old; his face very much like Vegeta's, with the same silent smugness and superiority. He looked at all of the other students with disdain, and Tien thought to himself that this boy sure could use some humbling. And so, in Beat's first training session, Tien utilized his full power, punching the boy across the room in a millisecond.  
  
It was harsh, sure; but Beat, so shocked, so cocky, couldn't believe he had been so easily taken down by a human. He pledged himself fully to the teachings of the Crane School, and as a humbled student, he worked from the bottom level, straight to the top; he had done it much quicker than any student of the Crane School ever had before. There were few who could even combat Beat, and only Tien exceeded him enough to train him. But the Crane Master knew that wouldn't last for long. However, for now, Tien enjoyed teaching the boy. The realization that soon, the boy would need to find his own path to power, only made Tien push the boy harder; teach him everything the Turtle School had to offer. The only student that seemed able to match Beat no matter what (though perhaps not at 100% power) was a human named Kagyu, who had mastered the Dodon Ray to a level Tien didn't even know was possible.  
  
Tien remembered the shock that came across Beat's face when Kagyu's Dodon Ray hit him; at first, Beat had dodged the beam, but Kagyu managed to curve it around, the yellow energy smashing Beat in the back and knocking him forward several yards. After that, they became fast friends, and Beat still trained with Kagyu to this day.  
  
Tien came out of his reverie when the crowd let out a loud "ooooh!", and Pan let out a shriek of terror; Tien looked up in the sky to see Beat floating high above the ring, fist pointing downwards; Gokan was traveling towards the ring at a fast rate, before crashing in a cloud of smoke.   
  
"GOKAN!" Pan screamed, leaning over the railing, face showing only extreme concern.  
  
/////  
  
As the dust cleared, Gokan was struggling to his feet. He could feel a warm liquid accumulate in his mouth, and he spat out a gob of thick red blood that splat on the broken tile. He looked up at Beat, who floated high above him.  
  
"Give up." Beat said, quiet enough for only Gokan to hear. The Son prodigy grew defiant.  
  
"I won't!" He yelled, blood and spittle spraying from his mouth. Beat disappeared.  
  
For a moment, there was nothing; and then the fighter appeared before Gokan, a fist colliding with Gokan's stomach. Gokan's feet lifted off of the ground, and he flipped upwards, landing a few meters away. Beat began walking, as Gokan spat out another wad of blood and struggled to his feet.   
  
"One last warning. Give. Up." Beat said. Gokan said nothing; his head was turned downwards. Beat stopped before him. "Do you hear me? Give up. Now!"  
  
"No." Gokan whispered. Beat reeled back, pushing his fist forward-  
  
Gokan caught it.  
  
A golden aura slowly began drifting from Gokan's body, slowly at first; still the boy faced downwards, but his breathing grew heavier.  
  
"I WON'T GIVE UP!" The boy screamed, lifting his head up; his pupils had disappeared, and his hair stood up on end. The aura grew jagged and fiery.  
  
Beat could only stare, shocked at the sudden power; Gokan pushed the fist backwards, and Beat stepped back; Gokan flew at him suddenly, a flurry of punches and kicks with so much speed that the unbalanced Beat could not guard himself.  
  
/////  
  
"This power... the aura! Is this- is the boy-?" Tien was speechless.  
  
"Super Saiyan? No. From what I can gather, it's a precursor to the form; it seems to activate with extreme rage. The power boost itself varies."  
  
Krillin's eyes followed Gokan's attack, but Krillin thoughts were elsewhere.  
  
He recalled the humble, excitable young boy that Pan had brought to him. He had stayed in contact with the Son family, of course, but he hadn't had a close relationship with Gokan, due to his parents' reluctance to be apart of the martial arts world; but after they died, Pan thought it best for the boy.  
  
Krillin could feel the power bubbling under the surface; the boy had incredible potential, very much like how Gohan had been so many years before. He had feared the boy would unleash this power at this venue- Krillin had attempted to teach the boy to control the rage, to channel the energy- but he hadn't expected Beat to push Gokan this hard.....  
  
/////  
  
Beat managed to block a punch to his stomach, but Gokan didn't miss a step, reeling back his left fist with a speed Beat wasn't expecting, and pushing it forward.   
  
Beat felt the fist connect with his nose; he heard and felt a deep crunch, and felt a warm liquid spray from his nostrils. Gokan growled-actually growled, like a beast- and wrapped his arms around Beat's midsection, standing straight up and bringing Beat with him, sending Beat back first onto the tiled ground which cracked and shattered further, but Gokan didn't let go; he rolled through, got to his feet with Beat still on his shoulder, and tossed him backwards. Beat flew across the ring and skidded, almost toppling off of the corner onto the ground into an elimination. He stood up to see Gokan, angry golden aura flowing, assume his fighting stance; Beat wiped blood from his mouth.  
  
"Now that's what I'm talking about." He said, more to himself. He took off at Gokan, who readied himself.   
  
Beat reeled back his fist, but Gokan leapt over him; Beat spun around, dodging Gokan's kick-  
  
Gokan reeled back his right fist just as Beat reeled back his own right.  
  
Gokan caught Beat's right hand in his left, and Beat did the same; their hands interlocked, the both pushed forward. Neither gave way. Beat brought his knee up- Gokan blocked it with his own.   
  
Gokan figured out Beat's next move.   
  
The Son fighter focused all of his ki on Beat in that millisecond, and sudden he was traveling through some other place, a multicolored dimension of energy and movement; within a moment it was over, and they were in the air, high above the arena. Beat's eyebrows raised in shock.  
  
"How?!?" He screamed, their hands still locked.  
  
"Nice technique." Gokan said with an evil looking smirk, his teeth gritted, his pupils and iris still absent. Gokan began fading from view; then he figured it out, and with a sharp noise, he was gone.   
  
Beat's arms fell; his eyebrows were raised high, his jaw dropped. He couldn't even react.  
  
Gokan appeared behind him, and Beat felt a shin connect with the back of his head. Beat flew forward, flipping end over end, before stopping himself. Gokan still had the evil smirk on his face, and his aura flared, as he begin disappearing and reappearing around Beat.  
  
"STOP MOCKING ME!" Beat roared, flaring his aura; Gokan got caught, and he flew backwards a few meters; Beat took that second of time to his advantage, flying at Gokan. Beat could feel his opponent choose a location, and he followed; they disappeared together.   
  
So began a rapid fire series of Instant Transmissions.  
  
/////  
  
To the audience in attendance, there was nothing; it was as if the fighters had left the arena.  
  
But to the trained eyes of Tien and Krillin, they could see the two boys clashing all over the place, with such speed that they were leaving after images all over the arena. Tien and Krillin had to slow their perception of time to keep track; neither boy appeared to gain an upper hand, each one trading blows with each reappearance.  
  
  
/////  
  
Gokan appeared in the middle of the ring, and heard Beat appear behind him; just as he began to turn around, Beat appeared in front of him, slamming his fist into Beat's midsection, lifting the boy up with his fist; he channeled a blast of energy, sending Gokan upwards in the air.  
  
Gokan flew upwards, higher and higher, before stopping himself. He took a deep breath, his golden aura calming slightly. He cupped his hands and faced them outwards, before bringing them to his sides.  
  
"Kame..."  
  
"You can't be serious!" Beat snarled, opening his right hand, golden energy flaring to life.  
  
"Hame..." Blue energy began forming in Gokan's palm. It grew and grew, reaching critical mass. Gokan shot his right hand behind him, facing downwards like a torpedo.  
  
"HA!!"  
  
The energy blasted behind him, giving him an incredible speed boost; he reeled his right fist back as he shot towards Beat, who lifted up the golden sphere of energy just as Gokan came to him.  
  
There was a massive explosion, engulfing the ring; the shockwave pushed the audience back in their seats; a massive plume of smoke enveloped the area.


	5. The Rage of the Prince!

Slowly, the smoke had begun to clear. The audience had been pushed into a shocked silence, all eyes on the thick plume of dust and black smoke that obscured the ring. As the tiled surface was slowly becoming more visible, so did the shallow crater. Finally, the shadows of human forms resolved themselves into a clear image.  
  
Gokan was suspended in midair; his black hair was floating in a nonexistent breeze, his red-gold aura faded but still visibly flowing around him; his pupiless eyes were wide, mouth open in shock. His fist was firmly being gripped by the hulking form of Beat, whose vividly blue eyes were locked on Gokan’s, and his bloody mouth was split in a monstrous grin. Krillin audibly gasped; Tien’s face was unreadable. Pan felt a mix of emotions, but it all resolved into dread. After a tense moment, Beat growled out words.  
  
“Caught. You.”  
  
He pulled Gokan down, bringing his right hand up, into Gokan’s abdomen; Gokan expelled blood from his mouth, his Psuedo- Super Saiyan form fading instantly. The shot caused him to rocket back, but Beat kept his grip steady, pulling Gokan back, over his head. Beat brought Gokan down into the ground with enough force to crack the stone, and Gokan grunted loudly on impact, feeling it reverberate through his bones. Beat kept his grip on Gokan’s arm.  
  
“Finally, the Son falls to the Prince.” Beat whispered, audible enough only for Gokan. The descendant of Vegeta kicked off from the ground, spinning in midair, and landed on the other side of the ring. He concentrated, and purple sparks briefly appeared around him, crackling to life but fading instantaneously, over and over. “Stay down. There is nothing more you can do, Son Gokan.”   
  
Gokan could only stare at his hand through blurred vision. His whole body was flaring with agony, but a voice spoke to him. It told him to stand up. You will not face defeat laying down. You will make proud your heritage and face defeat with your head held high, for a Saiyan could not truly lose. He would rise again, stronger, and resume his path to victory. And so, under the burnt orange sky, as the sun set, Son Gokan planted his hands, and slowly began to push himself upward. The pain intensified with each movement, intensified so much it nearly blinded him, but he moved anyways. Beat growled, and the purple sparks flared into a bright purple aura. Gokan was to his knees, and brought his right foot up under him. Beat twisted his body slightly, and placed the back of his right hand against the palm of his left. The sparking intensified, and an orb of energy began resolving in his palm, like a miniature violet sun.  
  
Gokan pulled himself to his feet, bruised and bloodied, pain like he’d never known eating away at him.  
  
“I’ll never stay down.” Gokan said in a course voice. Beat felt something- was it respect? But he quickly cast the thought aside, and pushed both palms outward.  
  
“GALICK GUN!” He roared, and the orb expanded, and it seemed as if the beam of light was coming from the aura itself. It rocketed towards Gokan, who didn’t move a muscle.   
  
Gokan looked defeat in the eye and didn’t run from it.  
  
The descendant of Goku was sent flying backwards; with a crunch he hit the dividing wall that protected the audience, before falling to the grass below, unconscious.  
  
As the purple energy faded, there was a pause; Beat looked at the area where Gokan had landed, as if not truly believing Gokan was there. Then, the Announcer’s voice cut through the shocked silence.  
  
“BEAT BRIEFS WINS!”   
  
The audience roared and applauded, only understanding the spectacle of what they had just witnessed. With a flash of white energy, Beat reverted to his base form, slumping forward slightly. He looked out into the crowd, before locking eyes with Tien. His Master was glaring at him with an intensity he hadn’t seen in years. It seemed to cut right through him, to quell any happiness he felt at his victory. He had gone too far to achieve it.  
  
/////  
  
Gokan awoke in the infirmary, shockingly comfortable; it felt as though his body had been broken only moments ago. A shriek startled him, and suddenly his Grandmother was there, smothering him with a hug.  
  
“Grandmaaaaa....” Gokan whined.  
  
“Oh my god you’re okay! You had me so worried!” She was babbling; after several more moments of this, she finally let go of him, staring at his face. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, do you hear me?”  
  
“I’m okay, Grandma! Don’t worry.” Gokan reassured her. He looked around the room, his eyes settling on Krillin.  
  
“Master.”   
  
Krillin inclined his head, the disappointment Gokan expected to see, nonexistent.   
  
“Pan, could you give Gokan and I some privacy for a few moments?” Krillin said gently. Pan sniffled, and nodded, quickly exiting the room.  
  
“You expected me to be disappointed?” Krillin asked, eyebrow quirked in amusement. Gokan never ceased to be surprised at Krillin’s ability to read him like a book. “Gokan, you are an incredible young man. When I look at you, I see your great-great grandfather, and your great grandfather; I see their boundless strength, and their incredibly humility and kindness. They were strong. You, my student, are also strong.”  
  
Gokan opened his mouth to speak, but Krillin raised his hand up to silence him.  
  
“I am not disappointed in your loss, nor am I disappointed in your spectacular performance. You taught me much today, Gokan. I wanted you to win this tournament; but now, I think you learned an even greater lesson. You faced defeat, and didn’t even consider retreating. You may have lost the tournament, but I believe you won more than perhaps anyone else on that stage.  
  
“That is the sign of a true warrior.”  
  
/////  
  
Beat sat cross legged on the stone tiled floor, eyes closed, breath steady as he meditated. Crane Master Tien had not said a word to him. Just led him to the meditation quarters and closed the door. Beat’s anger had been slowly simmering since. Gokan hadn’t died. The boy was promptly healed by the expert Namekians and that was that. Beat had done everything he had done so he could win- simple as that. His brutality was in the face of a boy who showed incredible strength. And judging by his transformation into a precursor to Super Saiyan, Beat would’ve been worse off if he hadn’t have fought back with every trick in the book.   
  
White smoky energy began drifting from Beat; his eyebrows knitted as his anger began boiling. He deserved congratulations, not punishment! He deserved so much more! He won the World Martial Arts Tournament, he silenced the Crane School vs Turtle School debates single handedly!  
  
The stone under Beat cracked. The sound was like a gunshot, and Beat’s eyes flew open; the white aura was glaring violently. He took a deep breath, and it dispersed equally as violently.  
  
The candles went out in the force of the aura, bathing the room in darkness.


End file.
